Natural coloring products

• US 20070110857A1
• Filed: 11/01/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LycoRed Natural Products Industries Ltd. (ADAMA Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LycoRed Natural Products Industries Ltd. (ADAMA Ltd.)
• Inventors: Hartal, Dov, Wolf, Abraham, Raveh, Yigal
• Granted Patent: US 7,883,731 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 426/250
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 19/09 Mashed or comminuted products, e.g. pulp, purée, sauce, or products made therefrom, e.g. snacks A23L19/01, A23L19/10, A23L27/63 and A23L21/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/44 using carotenoids or xanthophylls
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 61/00 Dyes of natural origin prepared from natural sources , e.g. vegetable sources

Abstract

A red colorant is formed of 500 to 3000 ppm of crystalline lycopene mainly encapsulated by chromoplasts, and having a soluble solid concentration below 5° Bx.

Claims

1. A coloring material in the red color range comprising,

chromoplast particles encapsulating crystalline lycopene as the color-imparting agent,

said chromoplast particles being particles separated from a fruit which contained them,

wherein the coloring material has a concentration of 500 to 3000 ppm of crystalline lycopene, and

wherein the coloring material has a soluble solids concentration below 5°

Bx.

2. A coloring material according to claim 1, comprising, as the color-imparting agent, said chromoplast particles comprising-crystalline lycopene, and further comprising color-neutral substances.

3. A coloring material according to claim 1, wherein the chromoplasts are derived from tomatoes.

4. A coloring material according to claim 1, which has been water-washed, and wherein the coloring material does not impart a substantial tomato flavor.

5. A coloring material according to claim 3, wherein the tomatoes comprise a high lycopene-content tomato variety.

6. A concentrated coloring material, comprising the coloring material according to claim 1, which has been dehydrated.

7. A coloring material according to claim 1, in frozen form.

13. A method for producing a tomato product of constant color, comprising adding to the said tomato product a coloring effective amount of a coloring material as defined in claim 1.

14. A tomato product colored with a material according to claim 1.

15. A coloring material according to claim 1, wherein the coloring material has a lycopene concentration of at least 1000 ppm.

8. A process for preparing a coloring material comprising, as a color-imparting agent, chromoplast particles containing crystalline lycopene, the process comprising:

a) selecting and pre-treating a lycopene-containing fruit by cleaning it;

b) breaking the fruit;

c) screening out solid components above a predetermined dimension; and

d) separating by centrifugation a fruit serum from a solid material thus obtained and retaining said chromoplast particles with said solid material,

wherein said process is carried out under conditions providing said chromoplast particles containing crystalline lycopene in said solid material thereby obtaining a color concentrate comprising said color-imparting agent,

wherein the coloring material has a lycopene concentration from 500 to 3000 ppm and a soluble solids concentration below 5°

Bx.

9. A process according to claim 8, wherein the fruit comprises tomatoes.

10. A process according to claim 8, further comprising water-washing the color concentrate to reduce tomato flavor.

11. A process according to claim 8, further comprising processing the color concentrate to avoid microbial spoilage.

12. A process according to claim 10, comprising at least one preservation technique selected from the group consisting of aseptic packaging, freezing, canning and dehydrating, optionally with the addition of a food preservative.

16. A process for coloring a food product which comprises:

a) cleaning and breaking tomatoes which comprise chromoplasts containing lycopene in the amount of at least 120 ppm;

b) screening out solid components therefrom of a predetermined size; and

c) separating a serum from a screened tomato solid material by centrifugation and retaining said chromoplasts with said tomato solid material,

wherein said process is carried out under conditions providing said chromoplast particles containing crystalline lycopene in said tomato solid material,

thereby to obtain a color concentrate comprising said crystalline lycopene in a concentration from 500 to 3000 ppm, and

d) introducing a coloring-effective amount of said concentrate into said food product, said amount being insufficient to impart a tomato flavor in said food product.

17. A process according to claim 16 wherein unless said products are not tomato products, further comprising washing the color concentrate.

18. A process according to claim 16 which comprises subjecting the color concentrate to size reduction.

19. A process according to claim 18, wherein the size reduction is carried out by processing the color concentrate in a colloid mill or microcutter.

20. A process according to claim 16 further comprising processing the color concentrate prior to using it as a coloring material by subjecting it to one or more of the following preservation techniques:

aseptic packaging, canning, freezing or dehydrating.

21. In a food product or a health-promoting and health-maintaining consumable product comprising a lycopene additive of lycopene molecules as a food colorant or as a neutraceutical, the improvement wherein

said lycopene molecules are in crystalline form encapsulated in chromoplasts,

said chromoplasts are particles separated from a fruit which contained them,

the lycopene additive has a lycopene concentration of from 500 to 3,000 ppm, said lycopene being mainly encapsulated by said chromoplasts, and

wherein said lycopene additive has a soluble solids concentration below 5°

Bx.

22. The food product or health-promoting and health-maintaining consumable product of claim 21, wherein said chromoplasts are derived from tomatoes.

23. The food product or health-promoting and health-maintaining consumable product of claim 21, wherein said chromoplasts have been water-washed to remove flavors.

24. In a method for coloring a food product or a health-promoting and health-maintaining consumable product, comprising adding a lycopene additive as a red food colorant to said food product or health-promoting and health-maintaining consumable product, the improvement wherein:

said lycopene additive comprises chromoplast particles encapsulating crystalline lycopene,

said chromoplast particles are particles separated from a fruit which contained them,

the lycopene additive has a lycopene concentration of from 500 to 3,000 ppm, said lycopene being mainly encapsulated by said chromoplasts particles, and

the lycopene additive has a soluble solids concentration below 5°

Bx.